Among the Trails series’ protagonists, the Special Support Selection leader Lloyd Bannings (Trails from Zero) is the least impressive at first glance. Devoid of special abilities of any kind and with no fear of being extremely emotional with his friends, Lloyd seems like a sentimental cop with delusions of grandeur. However, behind the embarrassing words he utters, there’s a power that not even Nihon Falcom’s grounded fantasy can stop, which ultimately makes Lloyd stronger than any other character.
The Trails series has several leader figures who, in one way or another, are outstanding. Estelle (Trails in the Sky) is the daughter of one of the strongest men in Liberl and is climbing fast through the Bracer ranks. Aside from the fact that Rean Schwarzer (Trails of Cold Steel) and Van Arkride (Trails Through Daybreak) are skilled fighters, the first had a mecha and supernatural powers, while the second wears a demonic armor. Then, we have Lloyd Bannings.
After graduating from the police academy, Lloyd starts working as a detective in the Crossbell Police Department, following in his older brother’s footsteps. He keeps his brown hair short and always wears his SSS uniform. He’s not the tallest in the group, and there are no secrets hidden in his past. The young cop doesn’t have special abilities, and, although his detective skills are on point, he’s far from being the police department’s brightest star. In a world of extraordinary individuals, Lloyd is strangely common.
Using only a pair of tonfas, he kicks the ass of mythological warriors and divine manifestations. Lloyd is never alone in these encounters, receiving the help of other SSS members or one of his remarkable friends. But at any moment, Lloyd could fall behind in a fight. Even so, he’s always carrying his weight and pushing his companions forward. Besides, he has faced tough fights by himself. In Trails into Reverie, he faces a version of Ouroboro’s strongest Enforcer, McBurn, who is surprised that Lloyd has nothing special and can still keep up with him.
Lloyd’s power is his heart. He’s moved by his desire to do the right thing, which is admirable. But this sentiment overflows so intensely and so often that Lloyd frequently gives emotional speeches about the importance of friendship, love, and hope. When surrounded by a group of soldiers, he’s the guy who says, “no matter how many times you knock me down, I’ll never surrender. You can break my legs and I’ll keep standing back up.” He can’t help but look deeply in a person’s eyes and tell them how much he cares — making everyone present feel embarrassed.
Realistically? Lloyd would have been the first to die. However, he resists and pushes forward. He holds a firm belief that working hard and trusting his friends makes overcoming any obstacle possible. So it’s no surprise that he’s obsessed with making metaphors about barriers. Whenever his group faces a new challenge, he labels it a barrier. It’s a solid motivational image, but let’s be real, challenging a god is a hell of a barrier for a police detective.
Still, it’s funny and absurd that Lloyd’s groundless power made its way into a series that puts a lot of effort into explaining every single change and detail in its world. (Do you want to know why the bakery in Crossbell makes a specific type of bread? You bet there are a few thousand words of dialogue going through all the details.) Falcom took its time during the four Cold Steel games (at least 200 hours of playthrough if we consider the average time logged on How Long to Beat) to fully explain the origin of Rean’s power.
However, by linking Lloyd’s potential only to his fighting spirit, Falcom made him the most powerful character in the series. The sky is the limit! Lloyd has a free pass to defeat anyone — just because he wants to. Lloyd is a victim and a beneficiary of his pure heart, which allows him to get as strong as the situation requires. And you know what my mom always said? You should always follow your heart.
